Lena Biörck Kaplan

Vice-Chair, Childhood USA

Ms. Kaplan has extensive experience organizing and managing a number of events and organizations involving Swedish-American life in the United States. While studying in the United States, she founded SVEA, an organization aimed at helping Swedish women stay in touch with their cultural roots through events and other traditions. Soon after, Ms. Kaplan served on the board of The Swedish Council of America as Vice Chairman, as a board member of The International Preschool, and as Chairman of The New Sweden ’88 Committee. Between 1989 -1996, she acted as President of The American-Scandinavian Foundation and founder of Scandinavia House on Park Avenue. Ms. Kaplan is currently an executive trustee with The American-Scandinavian Foundation. More recently, Ms. Kaplan founded and managed White on White, an interior design and retail company, and opened an art and design gallery in Tribeca titled “More North” with partners Linda Nordberg and Monika Heimbold.

Starting in 2004, Ms. Kaplan joined the board of The World Childhood Foundation USA, served as the Chair of the board from 2014 – 2015. She currently serves as Vice-Chair. Ms. Kaplan received a B.A. from Columbia University and Uppsala University, Sweden. She is married to Gilbert E. Kaplan and has 4 children and 8 grandchildren.

The mission of World Childhood Foundation is to defend the rights of children and to promote better living conditions for vulnerable and exploited children at risk all over the world. By investing in children at an early stage, we prevent marginalization, abuse and neglect.